By NCFM

As NCFM readers are aware, tens of thousands of children have been denied the love and protection of good and decent fathers because of misandrist ideology creeping into our laws and courts over the last several decades, including the intentional destruction of the intact biological family.[1]

Hence, our nation’s family courts are largely complicit in the degradation of fathers, their disenfranchisement, financial ruin, and loss of children, related murders, suicides and even murder-suicides, all apparently in the “best interests of children.”

California’s Orange County Family Court System has been complicit in some horrific family court cases including the infamous Elizabeth Fontaine multiple murder-suicide[2] and Scott Evans Dekraai mass murder case[3]. Both facilitated by the court’s refusal to hold false accusers accountable, and allowing multiple continuances dragging cases on year after year

For over two years now, NCFM has been working with a victim of the Orange County Family Court system. Two of our member investigators, both retired law enforcement professionals, have uncovered and reviewed extensive materials and interviewed people involved in this ongoing, bitter, high-conflict divorce. The marriage lasted under ten-years. Unconscionably, the divorce is headed into its twelfth year of litigation.

In brief, the man in this case is a public safety professional with a 33-year history of putting himself at risk to help others. He has spent nearly $300,000 in attorney fees and associated costs. He has been to court approximately 150 times, was subjected to a restraining order based on false accusations and has suffered serious parental alienation which has negatively impacted his relationship with his children. He has experienced significant health problems, loss of promotional opportunities, and had his home intentionally vandalized, causing tens of thousands of dollars in repairs. Most importantly, his children have not been able to have a good relationship with their father.

Orange County Family Judge Linda Miller (retired), presided over the majority of this long-lived divorce. She routinely disparaged this man and others in open court. The ex-wife has not been held accountable for numerous court order violations, lies, alienating their two children from their father, or her disingenuous tactics to delay the process. She violated virtually every court order and has yet to be sanctioned. Judge Miller’s behavior was disgraceful and seriously violated her Oath of Office and the Judicial Code of Ethics.

Apparently, Judge Miller now works as a private mediation judge.

According to the California Rules of the Court, any complaint regarding a mediation judge must go before the presiding judge of the County from where the case originated. Here, Orange County. Suggesting that there is little reason to believe such a complaint would be well received or rigorously investigated without bias or favor.

Complaints concerning issues when a private judge served as a Superior Court judge is subject to the California Commission on Judicial Performance (CJP). Consequently, NCFM has filed a complaint with the CJP concerning Judge Miller, as well as current Presiding Judge, Lon Hurwitz for failing to properly supervise Judge Miller.

The CJP has been criticized as being a useless oversight body that routinely dismisses complaints, fails to conduct adequate investigations, and fails to hold judges accountable for misconduct.

In fact, as recently as 2019, the California State Auditor issued a scathing report on the California Commission on Judicial Performance, after a hotly contested litigation where the commission fought tooth and nail to prevent an audit. The Auditor concluded that the CJP lacked transparency and demonstrated incompetence in conducting inquiries.

Thus, a copy of NCFM’s complaint is now included in the public divorce case file for anyone and all to see to prevent the CJP and others from covering it up. You can read a redacted copy of the cover letter here: NCFM Judicial Commission Cover Letter REDACTED PDF

Shocking reviews of Judge Miller and Judge Hurwitz can be found at The Robing Room (www.therobingroom.com) and Robe Probe (www.robeprobe.com).

Here are a few outtakes from the comments about Judge Miller:

• Man Hater Miller gives a whole new face to injustice.
• Most condescending and hostile judge.
• A total disgrace to the judicial system and should be off the bench.
• Completely incompetent.
• DIVORCED FIVE TIMES (if true, may explain bitterness toward men).
• Does not make decisions in the best interests of children.
• Continually allows disputes to go unresolved.
• Does not uphold original divorce decrees…forcing people to come back time and time again.
• She was rude, arrogant, lacked sufficient knowledge, and is completely filled with contempt for military personnel.
• She doesn’t listen…doesn’t read what is filed…doesn’t consider legal arguments or the law.

Here are a few outtakes from the comments about Judge Hurwitz:

• Rules his court like a circus.
• Is condescending and biased against males.
• Makes rash decisions.
• Continuously demonstrates gender bias against males.
• Would not trust [him] judging a pie eating contest.

To be fair, while there were a few good ratings of both judges, the majority of reviews were negative and create the appearance that both Miller and Hurwitz are biased against men, and men as fathers.

One man who experienced discrimination and negative life altering consequences at the hands of Judge Hurwitz told us.

“I wouldn’t trust Lon Hurwitz to judge a pie eating contest at a local county fair, yet here he is making disastrous lifelong decisions about families and children.  How many lives of children and loving fathers has he adversely affected or destroyed?  His arrogance, elitist attitude, and disdain towards those who come before him are nothing short of abhorrent.  He should be the poster child for the profile of an individual, who shouldn’t be in the same zip code of a family court, let alone rule one.”

While we are not optimistic, this complaint and others to follow will hopefully result in criminal investigations from other oversight bodies and law enforcement agencies.

Please feel free to review the links below for a better understanding of the problem of judicial misconduct, corruption, and incompetence.

If you can provide more information regarding the actions of Judge Miller or Judge Hurwitz of the Orange County Family Court, please contact NCFM.

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[1] The failure of our more than 50 billion dollar family court system was graphically exposed in the documentary, ‘Divorce Corp.’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REOuslPVZD4

[2] Elizabeth Fontaine, an attorney was caught up in a high conflict divorce in which she reportedly made numerous unfounded allegations of child abuse and molestation against her husband Jason Fontaine. Jason and their two children were subjected to two unfounded Child Protective Services investigations and three separate psychologists determined Jason was not a threat to the children. In the last court hearing, Judge Schulte denied Elizabeth’s request to hear from another mental health professional. Judge Schulte noted that the record is “a history of allegations being made in the past that have not been substantiated by a litany of mental health professionals.” Judge Schulte ordered Elizabeth to bring the children to court after a lunch recess, at which time temporary custody would be given to Jason’s sister pending a final custody hearing. Elizabeth did not return from lunch. A sheriff’s deputy was sent to the home where they were staying in San Clemente. Gunshots were heard. Four-year old Catherine and two-year old Julia, Elizabeth Fontaine and Elizabeth’s mother were found shot dead from an apparent murder-suicide.  All of which happened while Jason paced nervously up and down the hallways of the Orange County Family Court awaiting the return of his daughters. Even though Judge Schulte had finally lost patience with Elizabeth’s machinations, legal diversions and falsehoods, the prolonged nature of the case aggravated resolution facilitating a highly charged situation that ignited the murder-suicides. With all deference to Judge Schulte, intervention at the earliest determination of false assertions by Elizabeth may have prevented the murder-suicides. Here, like in many other cases, the sluggish family court process with its built-in disdain for fathers was complicit in the annihilation of a family.

[3] In 2007 Scott Evans Dekraai suffered a debilitating leg injury while working on a tugboat. Severe nerve damage prevented him from even holding down a desk job. He may have suffered from PTSD and a mild bi-polar disorder. He received the last of a $400,000 inheritance from his grandfather in 2009. Dekraai was also embroiled in a high-conflict Orange County child custody case, which dragged on for almost two years with one frustrating continuance after another. It is probable Dekraai had financial problems since he could not work and much of his inheritance was surely drained by the family court and attorneys. His financial situation, debilitating injury, inability to work, the high conflict divorce, and the court’s apparent inability to resolve the conflict along with the high cost of such custody disputes was too much for Mr. Dekraai. Armed with three handguns, he walked into the Seal Beach hair Salon Meritage where his ex-wife worked and shot her dead. His shooting spree killed eight people and wounded another. Soon after the murders, the law firm representing Dekraai secured a court order to seal the files and withdrew from the case. Why? The firm clearly failed Dekraai. It appears the court failed too. In no way can Dekraai’s murderous carnage be discounted or forgiven; but how might the family court system be complicit in the eight deaths at Salon Meritage? Shouldn’t the entire truth be known? And, if the system is complicit, shouldn’t we be doing everything we can to change it, especially for the survivors of those murdered by Dekraai and others whose lives have been ruined in full or large part by the family law system?

References

https://www.courthousenews.com/california-auditor-calls-judicial-misconduct-probes-weak/

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elizabeth-fontaine-murder-suicide-grandma-may-have-pulled-trigger-on-family/

https://www.ocregister.com/2011/10/16/michelle-fournier-custody-dispute-may-have-led-to-ex-wifes-death/

https://patch.com/california/losalamitos/defense-attorney-wants-off-alleged-salon-shooter-s-case

Parental Alienation Study Group, https://pasg.info/

International Support Network for Alienated Families, https://isnaf.info/

https://www.jmichaelbone.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jPdav5cfMg&list=PL7CE6F6FE9D470E08

https://dadsdivorce.com/articles/the-nuclear-weapon-of-divorce-orders-of-protection/

https://dadsdivorce.com/articles/restraining-orders-out-of-control/

SHOCKING VIDEO! ‘Chief Justice Caught on Camera by ABC News10 Investigative Reporter Misusing Highway Patrol as Personal Limo and Security Service.’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=202&v=8cJ1cHjM7VM&feature=emb_logo

California Penal Code  https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=PEN&division=&title=1.&part=4.&chapter=2.&article=2.5

Stop Abusive & Violent Environments, http://www.saveservices.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/SAVE-VAWA-Restraining-Orders.pdf

Stop Abusive & Violent Environments, http://www.saveservices.org/pdf/SAVE-Incentives-for-False-Allegations.pdf

The Huffington Post, “The misuse of orders of protection by women when going through a divorce.…”  https://www.huffpost.com/entry/order-of-protection-and-j_b_974970?guccounter=1

http://members.calbar.ca.gov/fal/Licensee/Detail/57559

http://www.therobingroom.com/california/Judge.aspx?id=3061

http://www.robeprobe.com/find_judges_result2.php?page=1&judge_id=2233

https://www.robeprobe.com/find_judges_result2.php?judge_id=6555&judge_Lon__Hurwitz

http://www.therobingroom.com/california/Judge.aspx?id=14650

Judicial Watch, https://www.judicialwatch.org/corruption-chronicles/state-agency-disciplines-judges-fights-keep-operating-secrecy-56-yrs/

http://www.sanjoseinside.com/2016/08/12/first-ever-state-audit-aims-to-hold-judges-accountable/

Judicial Watch, https://www.judicialwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/CJPAmicus-Brief-July-25-2017.pdf

http://family-court-corruption.com/child-custody/orange-county-da-todd-spitzer-to-break-up-family-court-corruption/

Orange County Register, https://www.ocregister.com/2013/07/26/fbi-confirms-oc-public-corruption-task-force/

https://www.divorcecorp.com/

https://zwartztalk.wordpress.com/2018/01/30/why-california-judicial-corruption-is-ubiquitous/

California Judicial Conduct Handbook.  https://drive.google.com/file/d/18jSU-0J4H5ZScRPSsHzYt5KkNWAKxksx/view

Center for Judicial Ethics.  https://www.ncsc.org/topics/judicial-officers/ethics/center-for-judicial-ethics

https://abovethelaw.com/tag/judicial-misconduct/

http://sacramentocountyfamilycourtnews.blogspot.com/p/court-watchdogs-charge-federal.html

https://www.facebook.com/Victims-and-Family-of-Judicial-Corruption-181597185231103/

NCFM Files Complaint with California Commission on Judicial Performance about Orange County Family Court Judges